22. Deep spiritual life. To be able to educate others in the faith, catechists should themselves have a deep spiritual life. This is the most important aspect of their personality and therefore the one to be most stressed in formation. The real catechist is a saint.

Their spiritual life should be based on a communion of faith and love with the person of Jesus, who calls them and sends them on his mission. Like Jesus, the only Master (cf. Mt 23:8), catechists serve their brothers and sisters by their teaching and works (cf. Acts 1:1), which are manifestations of love. To do the will of their Father, which is an act of salvific love for others, is their food, as it was that of Jesus (cf. Jn 4:34). Sanctity of life, lived as a lay apostle^, is the ideal to be striven for.

Spiritual formation should be a process of listening "to Him who is the principle inspiring all catechetical work and all who do this work - the Spirit of the Father and of the Son, the Holy Spirit".

The best way to attain this interior maturity is an intense sacramental and prayer life.

Basing itself on the actual experiences of catechists, the CEP proposes the following practices as key elements in the prayer life at least of the catechists who guide the community in a supplementary way, full-time catechists and those working closely with the parish priest, especially of the cadres:

- Regular, even daily, reception of the Eucharist, so as to nourish oneself with the "bread of life" (Jn 6:34), to form "a single body" with the community (cf. 1Cor 10:17) and offer oneself to the Father along with the Lord's body and blood.

- Lived liturgy in its various dimensions for the personal growth and for the help of the community.

- Recital of part of the Divine Office, especially Lauds and Vespers, in union with the song of praise that the Church addresses to the Father "from the rising of the sun to its setting" (Ps 113:3).

- Daily meditation, especially on the word of God, in an attitude of contemplation and response; experience shows that, even for lay people, regular meditation and lectio divina bring order to one's life and guarantee spiritual growth.

- Personal prayer, which ensures contact with God during one's daily occupations, with special attention to Marian prayer.

- Frequent reception of the sacrament of penance, to ask pardon for faults committed and renew one's fervour.

- Participation in spiritual retreats, for personal and community renewal.

It is through such a life of prayer that catechists will enrich their interior life and attain the spiritual maturity required by their role. Prayer is also necessary for their ministry to be fruitful, for communication of the Christian faith depends less on the catechist's ability than on God's grace working in the hearts of those who hear the message.

If a sufficient number of suitable candidates cannot be found, there may be a risk of settling for catechists who are not spiritual enough, but the CEP would not encourage such pragmatic solutions, for mission in the world today requires that the catechist hold a place of honour in the Church.

To help catechists in their spiritual life, spiritual direction should be made available. Dioceses are encouraged to name specific priests to interest themselves in the catechists and their work and provide spiritual guidance. But it is important that each catechist should choose a personal spiritual director from among the priests who are easily accessible. Parish priests in particular should be close to their catechists and help them even more in their spiritual growth than in their work.

Also to be encouraged are parish or diocesan initiatives for catechists, such as prayer groups, days of recollection together, or spiritual retreats, which will help them to share with each other on a spiritual level.

Catechists should also realize that the Christian community itself is a place where they can cultivate their own interior life. While they lead others in prayer, they will receive from them a stimulus and example to maintain their own fervour and grow in apostolic spirit.